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Edgar Cayce on Dealing withPersonal Financial Problems

Considering the fact that Edgar Cayce lived during a time of global uncertainty, the Great Depression, personal and economic hardship, and the world at war, it may not be surprising to learn that nearly 200 of Cayce's psychic readings mention the topic of personal financial problems and economic healing. People from every imaginable background and occupation came to him seeking answers to questions about their health, their personal challenges, their family situation, their careers, their direction in life, and their finances. The information they received continues to be helpful—studied by individuals the world over—as Cayce's insights for every imaginable issue and personal problem remain just as relevant today.

What may be surprising is that the information in the Cayce files on personal financial problems is about much more than money. Ultimately, material gains cannot be an end unto themselves. Instead, Cayce's premise is that any economic challenge faced by an individual is inextricably connected to a personal lesson or an opportunity to apply spiritual or universal laws in everyday life. Rather than seeing financial hardships as some sort of punishment or mistakenly assuming that the experience of poverty can somehow make someone more spiritual, the Cayce readings suggest that—seen correctly—the process of achieving economic healing can embody a worthwhile experience in personal growth.

Ultimately, everything we think we possess is in fact lent to us by God for the purpose of stewardship and service. Forgetting or ignoring or remaining ignorant of this premise is frequently one of the reasons that we encounter challenges in our personal finances. However, it is not that we are asked to give away everything we have. Instead, we are encouraged to become cognizant of the fact that personal success is best measured in terms of how we use our success to assist others. In terms of giving money away, Cayce specifically recommended giving a tithe of ten percent to charity, service activities, or to an individual in need.

Another issue that sometimes leads to financial lack is fear. Whether fear of the future, fear of monetary problems, or fear of situations that arise from personal challenges—such as the loss of a job—all of these things can work contrary to the flow of universal abundance. In the case of fear, Edgar Cayce often encouraged individuals to have faith and to use what they had in hand in order to draw to themselves additional opportunities and financial assistance. He often reminded individuals of economic healing principles from scripture, including Matthew 6:28-33, which is not an encouragement to sit idle and do nothing but rather an admonition to make certain one's focus is in the appropriate direction:

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin…

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

In addition to overcoming fear, cultivating faith, using what you have in hand, and practicing stewardship and personal tithing, the readings provide a number of suggestions for improving financial well-being. These include working with spiritual ideals, becoming cognizant of personal lessons needed by the soul (and attempting to learn them), living your soul's purpose, and being of service to others.

During the 1940s, a group of Cayce enthusiasts from New York City began working with various concepts from the Cayce readings and universal laws in an attempt to overcome the financial challenges that each of the individuals had been experiencing. Members of the group immediately recognized that their own economic problems were not linked to a lack of talent or potential but instead to other factors. For that reason, group members chose to begin applying spiritual principles to their material lives, while removing any of their own mental blocks regarding the challenges with their own finances.

The group began working as essentially an economic healing support group and undertook a three-month program of prayer, meditation, working with spiritual principles, and improving attitudes and their relationships with others, as well as tithing money and time. Although the group was small and not all of the individuals in the group completed the program, those who did continue working with economic healing began to see some amazing results. What may be most impressive, however, is that the group's exercises have been replicated since that time by countless groups and individuals over many decades, causing many others to attest to the validity of this material. Some of the exercises and disciplines undertaken by various groups and individuals have included the following:

• Daily prayer and meditation, not only to facilitate personal attunement and getting in touch with one's spiritual core but also to assist in overcoming any fear of lack.

• Ongoing work with personal relationships—at home, school, work—wherever they may be. Rather than seeing people as personal challenges that have to be put up with, the Cayce readings encourage us instead to approach all of our relationships with the ideal of “What am I supposed to be learning from this person?” or “What is this person trying to teach me about myself?”

• Being a good steward of the resources that have been entrusted to you. This includes paying bills promptly, not overspending or overindulging, giving yourself the freedom to buy what you need (although not necessarily everything you want), and tithing of both money and time without thought of receiving something in return.

• Finally, it is also a good idea to keep an ongoing chart of your progress. This chart can include your daily prayer and meditation time, the success of paying off your debts, the notation of any surprise economic assistance that has come your way, personal tithing, positive experiences with improving your relationships, and so forth.

By working with these ideas, many individuals and groups have found the Edgar Cayce information extremely helpful. This book of verbatim excerpts from the Cayce readings has been compiled to provide an understanding of economic healing and personal prosperity, and suggestions for improving personal financials by working with universal laws and spiritual principles. The approach found in the Edgar Cayce readings for achieving personal material success is about much more than money. It is an approach that encourages individuals to use what they have in hand and to discover and live out their life's mission. It is an approach that admonishes people to become good stewards of the resources they have been entrusted with and ultimately to be able to use every experience encountered in life to become all that they were meant to be.

Kevin J. Todeschi

Executive Director & CEO

Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. / Atlantic University